Almost done reading Captain Blood!

[applecameron]

S/B able to focus on the longer fic, then. Still need a copy of the screenplay!


The film compresses quite a bit in having Arabella and Lord Wade (who comes seeking Blood to offer him a commission, and thus, redemption) captured by Levassuer, and thus have her as the hostage Blood fights for. Also the film ages Wade so that he's too old to compete for Arabella Bishop, where, in the book, he is attracted to her about midway through his mission, and kinda plots against Blood after realizing she's in love with the rogue and not his poncy lordshipness.

Sorry, was just reading the Fellowship "Very Secret Diaries" over at The Council of Elrond. It's affected my vocabulary.

So, the second half of the book is more or less tossed due to the exigencies of filmmaking. This actually changes something important: Blood accepts the commission from King James, mostly to try to redeem himself in Arabella's eyes (and save his men from a fleet belonging to Colonel Bishop). He's not happy at all about James, and when things don't seem to be working out well, abandons the commission and goes back to his pirate fleet around Tortuga.

It would be interested to do a more true-to-text version, perhaps as a miniseries or a la Hornblower. There's some spiffy tactical bits and trickery, and Blood pulls off a keen fireship, even.


Next up, The Sea Hawk!

Comments

[melodylemming.livejournal.com]

I've been thinking recently that it's time to do a remake of Captain Blood. Still, the movie did pretty well, not in keeping to the story, but in keeping to the spirit of the book.

I think so too

[applecameron.livejournal.com]

I would say the only thing that gets dropped from the film is the ship tactics, the technical aspect of ships at war. And for that time frame? 1935? For a film that's a classic romance (adventure in a remote time or place)? Makes perfect sense.

(Hornblower, by contrast, keeps a lot of that, as it's one of the things that makes Hornblower who he is.)

Given the surge in interest in pirates and sea-based adventure(s), I would expect to see remakes/'loosely based' of both Captain Blood and The Sea Hawk in the next, say, 14 months. Wouldn't be a surprise at all. In fact, didn't I see a mention of a CB remake, somewhere online?

Re: I think so too

[melodylemming.livejournal.com]

I want to see Hornblower, but somehow I haven't gotten around to it yet.

I'm also hoping for a remake of Scaramouche, since the first one sot of sucked. A remake of The Sea Hawk that is something like the book would also be nice.

Re: I think so too

[applecameron.livejournal.com]

Now, I don't know anything about Scaramouche. What's it about?

Re: I think so too

[melodylemming.livejournal.com]

It's another Sabatini novel. It takes place in revolutionary France. The main character does stints as a lawyer, an actor, and a fencing teacher. There was a movie of it in 1952 that kept neither the plot nor the spirit of the book.

Re: I think so too

[applecameron.livejournal.com]

Dashing rogue type, or a different character?

Re: I think so too

[melodylemming.livejournal.com]

Think Captain Blood not thinking he's cut out to be an adventurer. And even more cynical.